Inexpensive. Easy to set up. Can make any speaker or sound system Wi-Fi enabled and part of a multi-room setup. Multiple speaker configurations supported. High-resolution (96KHz/24bit) audio now supported.

Cons

Only works with 3.5mm connections out of the box. No support for stereo pairs.

Bottom Line

With the simple, focused mission of making any speaker wireless, Google Chromecast Audio succeeds admirably and affordably.

Google's Chromecast is an affordable, compelling media streamer that lets you watch video from your mobile devices on your television. But it only works with an HDMI connection, and that leaves anything without a big screen out of the game. Now Google has released the Chromecast Audio, a new variant designed solely to turn your speakers wireless for music streaming. It works just like the Chromecast, and has the same low $35 price tag, but it lacks video output and instead connects via a 3.5mm audio jack (with support for stereo RCA and optical audio). And, just like the original Chromecast, it does exactly what it claims to do, extremely well, and at a very reasonable price.

Editors' Note: We have updated this review to reflect the addition of support for high-resolution audio and multi-speaker configurations to the Chromecast Audio. As a result, the score has been increased from 4 to 4.5 stars.

DesignThe Chromecast Audio is a small, black plastic puck about the size of a poker dealer's chip. One side is textured with concentric rings around a Google logo, to give the impression of a tiny vinyl record. The other side is a matte gray plastic. A 3.5mm port sits on the edge of the puck (a short, bright yellow 3.5mm cable is included). There's a micro USB port opposite the 3.5mm port, flanked by a small Reset button and an indicator light. The micro USB port is solely for powering the device with the included cable and wall adapter.

SetupWithout a connected screen on which to display information, the Chromecast Audio doesn't guide you quite as directly through the setup process as the original Chromecast, but it's still rather simple. Connect the Chromecast Audio to the 3.5mm input of your speaker or sound system, plug the micro USB port into the included wall charger, and plug the charger into the wall. Load the free Chromecast app on Android or iOS phone or tablet and choose "Set Up a New Device." Tap Chromecast Audio, and the app will walk you through the setup process and get you connected to your Wi-Fi network.

Multi-Room AudioYou can name different Chromecast Audio devices after different rooms in the house and jump between them in compatible apps. At launch, the Chromecast Audio didn't support streaming music to multiple speakers at once, but that feature has recently been added, putting the device's flexibility closer to the standards set by wireless audio systems from Sonos and Bose. You can now group more than one speaker together and play music on several in the same room, or simultaneously to every connected speaker in the house. You can't split channels apart to different speakers for dedicated stereo pairs, however.

On paper, you can connect the Chromecast Audio to a stereo speaker system or A/V receiver with stereo RCA or optical audio cables, but those connections require additional adapters, since the Chromecast Audio only comes with a 3.5mm patch cable for the aux input found on most speakers. 3.5mm-to-stereo-RCA and 3.5mm (mini toslink)-to-optical adapters are inexpensive and easy to find, but the options would have been nice to get in the box instead of just the little 3.5mm-to-3.5mm cable.

Google CastOnce it's set up, streaming music to your Chromecast Audio-connected speaker is just like streaming video to your Chromecast-connected HDTV. Any Android, iOS, or Chrome app or extension that supports Google Cast will show the Chromecast Audio as a device you can cast to. Just tap it to send whatever you're listening to in the app to the speaker. All media navigation and control is performed entirely through your smartphone, tablet, or PC; there is no remote for the Chromecast Audio, or any way to directly control it. Again, just like the original Chromecast.

PerformanceI streamed music from Spotify to a Creative Sound Blaster Roar 2 speaker through the Chromecast Audio with ease. On our FiOS test network, playback was as responsive as if my phone was directly connected to the speaker over Bluetooth; it took less than a second to play and pause tracks.

Audio quality is excellent, as to be expected from a Wi-Fi audio connection. Of course, Bluetooth has made great strides in the last few years, and both standards can wirelessly stream music very clearly now. As is always the case, the main determining factor of your listening experience will be the speaker itself, likely influenced by the quality of the source media.

High-resolution audio is also supported thanks to a recent update. The Chromecast Audio can now stream up to 96KHz/24bit lossless audio from compatible devices (with apps that support the audio) to connected speakers, which makes the device an appealing option for Tidal fans and audiophiles.

The Chromecast Audio takes everything that makes the Chromecast handy, strips away video, and makes it possible to connect nearly any speaker to your Wi-Fi network for wireless music streaming. Most speaker systems today integrate Bluetooth or some other wireless connection standard, but Chromecast Audio lets you join them all in the same Google Cast-based ecosystem and avoid juggling Bluetooth pairing for every speaker. It also lets you turn any older speaker (with the right connection, or if you get the right adapters) into a wireless speaker, as well. If that isn't enough, you can now group multiple speakers together for whole room and whole home audio streaming. For $35, that's an incredible deal, and worthy of our Editors' Choice.

About the Author

Will Greenwald has been covering consumer technology for a decade, and has served on the editorial staffs of CNET.com, Sound & Vision, and Maximum PC. His work and analysis has been seen in GamePro, Tested.com, Geek.com, and several other publications. He currently covers consumer electronics in the PC Labs as the in-house home entertainment expert... See Full Bio

Google Chromecast Audio

Google Chromecast Audio

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